WAP uses Plastix cases as success story

Plastix Global is used as example of a sucess story and case in recently sent out report from WAP (World Animal Protection) as a solution to the tragic consequence of lack of handling used fishing gear and trawl and thereby creating ghost nets in the world oceans.

Extracts from the report on cases:

“GGGI* participant Plastix Global has recycled ghost gear collected from GGGI projects in the UK and Alaska. Transforming ghost gear back into plastic pellets, local crafts or other goods creates a ‘circular economy’; in other words, these initiatives contribute to local fishing communities that would otherwise have their livelihoods endangered by ghost gear.”

…

“A separate project together with seafood companies Trident, Alyeska, Unisea and Westward and with support from NOAA’s National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in Dutch Harbor in Unalaska, Alaska focuses on the collection and recycling of end of life nets and gear. As the leading seafood port of the US for 20 years, Dutch Harbor is a valuable asset to the US fishing industry, landing seafood valued at almost $200 million in 2014. Despite its importance, however, the port has no established disposal facilities for end-of-life fishing gear, leading to an unwanted backlog of derelict fishing nets littering the area. The project in Dutch Harbor sees the nets bundled by Swan Nets, then collected and transported end of life fishing gear to Denmark, where GGGI participant Plastix
Global recycles them, circulating the material back into the economy as basic plastic. In the first phase of the project, 80 nets totalling over 420,000 lbs in weight were removed
from Dutch Harbor and are currently being recycled, with more waiting to be picked up. The second phase, planned for 2018, will expand this project into four new Alaskan locations